Home Maintenance: Summer Edition

Each season brings a new set of home maintenance challenges for you to overcome. During summer, you will want to consider the way that heat affects your home’s comfort and get a headstart on preparing it for the coming winter. Consider the fact that the summer weather is uniquely perfect for taking on maintenance tasks; it is dry, warm and long in most parts of the country. Here is a look at a some of home maintenance tasks that you may want to place on your checklist during the warmest months.

Outside the Home

Inspect Your Deck

Check your deck for any nails not hammered all the way in, rotted boards that you need to replace, and figure out whether you need to seal it. You can determine whether you need to seal your deck by spraying a little water on the boards. If it beads up, you are good to go; if it soaks in, you will need to apply sealant as soon as possible.

Paint or Touch Up

Summer is a great time of year to work on the single most important aspect of your home’s exterior—the paint. Not only does it make your home look better for your own personal enjoyment, it can enhance its value as well. The summer is perfect because in many parts of the country it is dry. Your paint job is less likely to get ruined by sudden rainfall and it will dry quickly. It is also relatively comfortable to work outdoors at this time of year, especially in the mornings and late afternoons.

Wash Your Windows

Window washing is one of the least-enjoyed home maintenance chores. If the exterior of your windows only gets washed once or twice per year, you will need to apply a little extra effort to get them clean. Clean the glass with some soapy water and a rag, sponge or soft brush.

Clear Your Gutters

Storms during the summer can blow all kinds of debris into your gutters. The result of this can be clogging, which leads to the same kind of water damage that might occur because of ice in the winter. While many experts recommend a focus on spring and fall for gutter cleaning, it is equally important for summer.

Clean Patio, Walkway, and Driveway Stones

The best way to clean the stone components in your landscaping is by pressure washing them. You will also want to inspect this part of your home’s exterior for cracks and weed growth before washing it.

Inside the Home

Clear Out Your Dryer Vent

A clean dryer vent is important no matter the time of year, but it becomes even more important in summer. The reason is that accumulated lint and dust poses a fire hazard and dry weather multiplies the risk.

Check Detectors

Inspect your home’s carbon monoxide and smoke detectors to ensure that they are functioning.

Reverse Your Ceiling Fans

During the summer, you will want to adjust your ceiling fan so that it spins counter-clockwise. Blades that spin clockwise draw air upward. In the winter, this has the effect of drawing cool air up while simultaneously forcing warm air down since it rises naturally. Reversing the spin forces cool air downwards to make your home more comfortable.

Cross these summer home maintenance tasks off your list for stress-free summer months. The more you get done, the more time you have to relax and have fun.